Star Plus' Ek Bhram Sarvagun Sampanna producer Dipti Kalwani talks candidly about her highs and lows

MUMBAI: Television content is going through a transition because regular family-based dramas are gradually disappearing from the primetime slots and making way for smart crime- stories, extraordinary sagas and stylish love stories. Television producers are taking risks to try unheard content, and one such producer is Dipti Kalwani, who has set her hard-boiled yarn in different genres. 

Her filmmaking chops with dark intense under plots along with a strong love story have set her shows apart from the rest. One such show is Star Plus' Ek Bhram Sarvagun Sampanna --though the show didn't top the TRP charts, it was critically acclaimed by many for its well-etched characters and compelling storyline. 

Dipti's experience with various GEC channels, production houses and her propensity to pulp out the great story from a one-line concept were just right to turn her into a producer. And the classic example of this is &TV's Badho Bahu starring Rytasha Rathore and Prince Narula in the lead roles. "Your first show is like a baby. Making Badho was a gratifying experience, which made me aware of the various dynamics of being a producer. I had to go through a lot of challenges, but it was the conviction of Vikas Gupta, the programming head of &TV then, firmed my belief and rest is history."

A deep dive into her career; she makes us feel that TRP ratings are not the only criteria that make a show successful. "As a content creator, I am organically drawn towards storytelling. After making Badho Bahu and Laal Ishq, I realised that all the shows that I will make should have resilient protagonists, who go through a whirlpool of emotions and not just project righteousness. They are sternly real and shamelessly true just like one of us," says Kalwani. 

Even though Ek Bhram couldn't sustain the ratings, but it was different from the rest with no additional frills attached. " My show wasn't mundane, it had a muted texture, a hardline story and dynamite performances by both Zain Iman and Shrenu Parikh. But somewhere audience is still taking time to relate to such stories," states Kalwani. She attempts to dig deep into the psyche of her characters, and it is this nuance that differentiates her storytelling from the rest. 

Somewhere through Ek Bhram, she has invented much-required noir language where her character's intelligence is portrayed using emotions. She has definitely created a noir atmosphere in extraordinary settings. "Even though TRP governs our shows, but somewhere innate storytelling will come out as the unscathed winner because the competition is getting tougher with each passing day, and with the advent of OTT platforms audience cannot be tricked any more. The best will impress, and there will be no space for compromise," concludes Dipti.